Skip to main content
Log in

Pedestal hairs of the ant Echinopla melanarctos (Hymenoptera, Formicidae): morphology and functional aspects

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Zoomorphology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The South East Asian arboreal Formicine Echinopla melanarctos, as well as some other members of this genus possess a cuticular structure unique in ants, the pedestal hairs. In E. melanarctos, about 700 pedestal hairs are situated on the dorsal and lateral surfaces of the head, the alitrunk, the petiole and the gaster. They are arranged in a polygon-like figuration. On the summit of each of the up to 200-μm high pedestals, a single central hair inserts. This hair (up to 500-μm long) is innervated by a single bipolar mechanosensitive sensory cell. The lumen of each tube-like pedestal contains (1) epithelial cells (2) the sensory cell and the auxiliary cells of the central hair and (3) the long efferent ductules of up to ten isolated bicellular glandular units. Each glandular unit is composed of a secretory glandular cell and a duct cell, all of which are located at the base of a pedestal. The cytoplasm of a glandular cell contains a well-developed end apparatus and is characterised by stacks of smooth and granular endoplasmic reticulum, numerous polyribosomes, a lot of mitochondria and some up to 5-μm large secretory vesicles. The secretion of the gland cells is released on the apex of the pedestal wall via small pores. Approximately 30 μm below their summit, some pedestals possess additionally (up to six) mechanosensitive hairs that are arranged ray-like. We suppose that the pedestal hairs are important in nest-space protection and find that only in ants with high pedestals on the head (Echinopla melanarctos and Echinopla pallipes), the compound eyes are stalked thus overtopping the pedestals.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Brück E, Stockem W (1972) Morphologische Untersuchungen an der Cuticula von Insekten. I. Die Feinstruktur der larvalen Cuticula von Blaberus trapezoides Burm. Z Zellforsch 132:403–416

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Forel A (1910) Fourmis de Philippines. Philipp J Sci Abt D 5:121–130

    Google Scholar 

  • Gnatzy W, Hustert R (1989) Mechanoreceptors in behavior. In: Huber F, Moore Th, Loher W (eds) Cricket behavior and neurobiology. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, pp 198–226

    Google Scholar 

  • Gnatzy W, Schmidt K (1972a) Die Feinstruktur der Sinneshaare auf den Cerci von Gryllus bimaculatus Deg. (Saltatoria, Gryllidae). IV. Die Häutung der kurzen Borstenhaare. Z Zellforsch 126:223–239

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gnatzy W, Schmidt K (1972b) Die Feinstruktur der Sinneshaare auf den Cerci von Gryllus bimaculatus Deg. (Saltatoria, Gryllidae). IV. Die Häutung der langen Borstenhaare an der Cercusbasis. J Microsc 14:75–84

    Google Scholar 

  • Gnatzy W, Tautz J (1980) Ultrastructure and mechanical properties of an insect mechanoreceptor: stimulus transmitting structures and sensory apparatus of the cercal filiform hairs of Gryllus. Cell Tissue Res 213:441–463

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gnatzy W, Volknandt W (2001) Venom gland of the digger wasp Liris niger: morphology, ultrastructure, age-realted changes and biochemical aspects. Cell Tissue Res 302:271–284

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hölldobler B, Wilson EO (1986) Soil-binding pilosity and camouflage in ants of the tribes Basicertini and Stegomyrmicini (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Zoomorpholgy 106:12–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hölldobler B, Wilson EO (1990) The Ants. Harvard University Press, Massachusetts, pp 732

    Google Scholar 

  • Hustert R, Lodde E, Gnatzy W (1999) Mechanosensory pegs constitute stridulatory files in grasshoppers. J Comp Neurol 410:444–456

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jander R (1990) Arboreal search in ants: search on branches. J Insect Behav 3:515–527

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maidl F (1933) Die Lebensgewohnheiten und Instinkte der Staatenbildenden Insekten. Wagner, Wien

    Google Scholar 

  • Maschwitz U (1974) Vergleichende Untersuchungen zur Funktion der Ameisenmetapleuraldrüse. Oecologica 16:303–310

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Noirot C, Quennedey A (1974) Fine structure of insect epidermal glands. Annu Rev Entomol 19:61–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Noirot C, Quennedey A (1991) Glands, gland cells, glandular units: some comments on terminology and classification. Annu Soc Entomol Fr 27:123–128

    Google Scholar 

  • Reichardt A (1997) Arborale Lebensstrategien von Ameisen am Beispiel der orientalischen Gattung Echinopla (Formicidae: Formicinae). Diploma Thesis, J.W. Goethe-University, Frankfurt

  • Rosciszewski (1995) Die Ameisenfauna eines tropischen Tieflandregenwaldes in Südostasien: Eine faunistisch-ökologische Bestandsaufnahme. Dissertation, University of Frankfurt/M., pp 1–183

  • Savolainen R, Vepsälainen K (1988) A competition hierarchy among boreal ants: impact on resource partitioning and community structure. Oikos 51:135–155

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith Fr (1857) Catalogue of the hymenopterous insects collected at Sarawak, Borneo; Mount Ophir, Malacca; and at Singapore, by A.R. Wallace. J Proc Linn Soc Lond Zool 2:42–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor RW (1992) Nomenclature and distribution of some Australian and Non Guinean ants of the subfamily for micinae (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). J Aust Entomol Soc 31:57–69

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wheeler WM (1910) Ants, their structure, development and behavior. University Press, Columbia, NY

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank M. Jatho and C. Trömel for their numerous constructive suggestions to style the figures. We are grateful to W.H.O. Dorow (Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, Frankfurt) for providing us with the Echinopla species from his collection. We thank O. Dittberner, B. Krebs, M. Stöhr and M. Ruppel for their excellent technical assistance.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Werner Gnatzy.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gnatzy, W., Maschwitz, U. Pedestal hairs of the ant Echinopla melanarctos (Hymenoptera, Formicidae): morphology and functional aspects. Zoomorphology 125, 57–68 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00435-005-0011-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00435-005-0011-8

Keywords

Navigation